Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-09-07
BRAVE HATTIE BENTON.
The Adventure OF - Sixteen -Tear-Ofd
Girl with q Gang OF Outlaws.

Girl Win Gang OF OutiaWs
The adventure OF Hattie Bentoa, a girl
OF sixteen, with gang OF outlaws on the
Arkansas rivsr, proved her bravery to DO
rqlal To that of any man living, says the
New York SHh Soon afior the war,
while every thing was yet Ia confusion in
the South, AM especially In the South
west, Benton novel from Missouri to
Arkansas and settled upon tho Arkansas
river at a point midway between Pine
Bluff ald Arkansas Post The country
was then full OF outlaws OF a 1 sorts, and
robbery, assassination and murder were
rife in ths loaely sections. Benton lived
on the bank OF the river, and fur
nishod wood TO steamboats,. Hat
tie was his only child, aud had been
accustomed to the wild Life Of the West
since babyhood. The mother was an in
valid, who could scarcely leave the house
or wait upon herself The father was a
man Of fiery temper, and people soon
learned that to attempt any love making
with the girl would b. pretty certain to
end in somebody's death. The three or
four gallants who came signing about
were made to walk the plank. and in time
IL came TO be known along the river that
tho old man Benton lcoSed upon his
daughter as too COOL a match for any one
In those parts. Then IL was that an out
law uuDntu JACK SCHbNuO Oiu
man q message that he was coming TO
make Hattie his wife. The fellow was
proprietor of n floating whisky shanty,
and had two or three hard cases con-
stantly with him. Whilo there was no
question that this crow wcro guilty OF
stealing and robbing and worse, the vic
TINS hesItated to complain, and the law
TO arrest.
CummorfOrd heard. OF tho girl long
enough before he saw her, and the first
Benton heard of the outlaw was by way
of q message in which Cummerford toll
him that he would be on hand in about
ten days to look the girl over, and IL she
suited him, no would take her away. The
fnthcr boiled ovsr at the Impudcnoe of
the message, and he arranged to kill the
outlaw on sight Had it been known just
how he would com1 Cummerford would
have been welcomed with a bullet, but
the messenger did not state that part of
IL, and after bling on his guard several
days tho father began TO relax his vigil
ance and believe the message to DO moth
lug more than an idle boast One
morning no went down to his wood pixies
to find a shanty- boat moorei Mt tho bank,
and a rough-looking follow just com.
his gang hal arrived, and the
william intend ID to make HIS
words good. Benton was not armed; the
outlaw hal rifle in his hands. Suspect
ing some evil, the pioneor started TO ro-
treat, but was shot in tho back beforo no
had CONC thirty feet, and he was dead nl-
most as soon ne the outlaw reached him.
The thrco men then proceeded TO the
house together. The mothcr and daugh-
ter were preparing breakfast, and wero
ordered to make provisions for their
visitors. They hal heard the rifiS shot,
but before they could voke their sus-
picions Of what had happened the leader
| OF the gang brutality said:
'Come, now, hurry up I've como to
take tho gal away, and "a thought the
old man might object, l just laid him out
on the start. No sniveling, now, but git
breakfast ready and then prepar' to go
with me-"
The mother was so overcome that she
| dropped INTO q chair and began moaning
and weeping. 1t was q terrible shock to tho
| girl, but sho realized from tho first mo-
| mont that IL she was to be saved from tho
| fate planned for hcr she must save her
self She therefore went ahead with the
preparations for the meal, and about the
time the mon were told 10 sit down TO tho
table the mother hobbled out and sat down
beside tho dead body OF hor husband, so
daIcd and terrified that she could not shed
a tear. After tho first shock the girl be-
gan to plan against the gang. and every
move made by the mon was narrowly
watched. AS tho place was isolate they
had no fear Of bcing disturbed. and took
matters very lOisurcly. They talked OF
the shooting Of Benton "a coolly as IL they
had only II ell upon n dog, and as they
drew up 10 the table Cummcrford OBJ
served:
Ought to have hit him about two
inches lower, but it wasn't so bad for
snap shot. Kinder sorry for tho old
woman, but she'll feel better after we
fling tho body into tho river. Say, gal,
how dye like mo, any wayl You orter
be proud OF such a man as Jack Cummer-
fordT"
Cummerford had brought his rife or
carbine to tho house, while tho others
had left their firearms aboard the boat
Tho carbinc loaned ag ainst the wall In the
rear Of the men, and just as thoy got fair
ly 10 eating the girl OK lminel it sum lent
" 20 note that the chamber contained
four or fivo bullets. No sooner was she
certain OF this than she snatchcd It
up, and sprang outdoors, and as she ron
for hor mother, who was In tho direct line
Of the boat, sho called TO her to leave the
tho body and hasten aboard tho craft
DL1cd as sho was, tho mother j ID not hcei-
tate second about complying, and she
was aboard before any of tho outlaws came
ont When they did appear it was TO find
tho G ri with tho carbine at an aim, COW
ering the mothor's retreat, and walking
slowly backward herself Tho rufiiaus
wore oil upset for tho moment Then
Cummorford sprang into tho catin after
the dead mans rilo, and when he reap
peared he brought II 60 his face and COM
mandcd tho girl, who was by that time
on board the shanty boat and trying to
cast OF the line 10 como ashore. She paid
him not the least attention, and he coolly
fired at hcr head. Tho bullet drcw blood
from the edge OF her right ear, and in re-
taliation she picked up tho carbine and
| fired an off-hand shot, which killed the
man who stood on the right Of GUNNER
| ford. The recoil OF the hoavy piece
knocked her down, but before they could
rush uTon her tho mother seized an axe
and cut the line, and tho boat floated away
| on the current.
Cummerford ran back into the cabin aft
or ammunition, but before no found 1t the
| boat was half n mile below the house, and
| whom he opened fro the women sheltered
| themselves in tho cabin. As fast as he
could load and fire he fircd upon the boat,
| hoping that stray shot would wound or
kill.
Had 1t been coming on dark the two
men would doubtless have found means
to recover the boat and rccapture the
women, but the craft had not been de.
tanned more than an hour in the tree ton,
when Government survey party came
along and were soon In possession Of all
the particulars. The women wero taken
OF, the boat was stripped OF it's plumber,
and then the structure was given over tc
tho flames. During this time two men
were landed TO hunt for the wretches, bu,
like the towards they were they left the
locality with all possible speed, and Cum.
merford was not heard OF again until
killed In fight at Arkansas Post
Over fivo thousand soldiers are said tc
have deserted from the British army dur.
ing the past few years